Realization Dawns
by vivid.vagueness
Summary: All along, they had their eyes on each other. Oneshot inspired by Eyes on Me FF8 .


Realization Dawns

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Now, if I DID... ohoho...

Summary: Inspired by Eyes on Me, the FF8 song. All along, they had their eyes on each other.

AN: First fic ever. Be nice and leave a helpful review. Thank you for your time.

Realization never dawns expectedly just as we are never exactly quite so sure when the first rays of sunlight are to reveal themselves – flashing then retreating, creeping slowly or shining immensely – all before the sun completely disperses the darkness of night.

Sleep had been evading her for days. As exhausted as her body was, her mind remained active reeling through her newfound emotions. It was only after she came to accept her own feelings that she gained some peace of mind.

Her mittened hand reached out towards a falling snowflake, suspending it in midair to admire the intricacy of its pattern and the beauty it held innate. The world had never been so bright. For once, she felt that she could see _everything. _Her senses were awakened and she experienced life anew.

The sparkling snow covered ground reflected her elation for falling in love. The silent passing breeze told her that her love was capable of reaching he who she so desired. The soft rays comforted her with the thought of her love's realization. Everything seemed to acknowledge the love she possessed yet nothing seemed to take heed of it for _he_ was her everything.

She hastily retracted her arm and brought it to her chest in an effort to console herself and lessen the stabbing pain she was feeling. The realization of her love also brought about the realization of its impossibility. She was a fool to think he'd ever love her back. She was an even greater fool to think that he'd actually look at her and see right through to her soul.

Konoha's Mighty Beasts were mistaken about youth being the most riveting period in a lifetime. Her childhood was filled with disappointed and demaining glances, harsh and discouraging words, and deep self loathing. In her desperate desire to deny and replace herself, she had mistaken admiration for love. Her all encompassing eyes failed to see that her growing strength came not from the person she admired most but from her now realized love.

She relaxed and placed her folded arm on her wildly spread hair, a tear of regret sliding down and becoming undistinguishable with the snow on which she lay. Her whisper vanishing with the wind.

The eyes are the true windows to the soul – which is exactly why he kept his eyes hidden from the world. His pain-filled orbs stemming from rough childhood memories of isolation and rejection, his dark irises reflecting a glint of despair and destruction. His soul would have crumbled if he hadn't constructed those thick walls that left him bare of emotion.

Through his dark glasses, he could see everyone's true soul without first judging them for the disgust they had towards him. He would never need to see those angry glances directed at him because they wouldn't even know what or who he was looking at. He had faded into the background so perfectly and that was where he found comfort.

Today, he sought the solace of nature as he made his way through medium, snow-encrusted forestry to the clearing he had discovered as a child wanting to run away from the harshness of society. There, he chanced upon his unrequited love. She seemed to be in deep thought, sighing every now and then.

He could remember exactly when he had fallen in love with her. He recalled meeting her for the first time as a young genin and peering into those pure and tranquil lavander orbs. Never had he witnessed a soul as peaceful and restful as hers. Since then, he's had his eyes on her and his heart in the palm of her hands.

Her heart though would never belong to him, or so he thought. She had opted for someone more outgoing and energetic – her total opposite. What that man can do to change her, he himself could never accomplish. He was, after all, just a background player and never the main character. She would never look at him and see the truth that lies within his soul.

_'Shino, if only you knew...'_

Hinata's slight whisper reached a bewildered Shino. He quietly approached the kunoichi and knelt down to reply.

_'If only I knew what?'_

The heiress' eyes fluttered open in wide shock, her body unable to move. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even sense him approaching.

_'I...I...'_

His kikaichu buzzed softly as he stared into her beautiful, pristine eyes. He saw something he had never seen before. His hand reached up to remove his dark glasses without a second thought. He wanted to see what was different within those eyes – those eyes at which he often stared.

For the first time, Hinata gazed into Shino's entrancing eyes. Irises rimmed with blue-gray hues, lightening into an azure center and settling for a vibrant green just before his black pupils. The way she looked at him utterly vaporized all his reservations and left him with only the truth in his soul.

_'I... I love you, Hinata. I always have.'_

She sat up slowly and lifted her hand towards his cheek, still intently staring into the eyes that saw her when nobody else did. He had always loved her and it dawned upon her that it was his love that transformed her from the stuttering coward she used to be into the proud shinobi she had become.

_'I love you too, Shino. I always will.'_

Their lips met as his hands found hers. Eyes closed, yet seeing only one another.

FIN

AN: Thanks for reading. Please leave a review.


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